Typewriter



May 15, 1928. 1,669,800

F. ALEXANDER TYPEWRITER Filed June 15, 1925 7' Sheets-Sheet 1 May 15, 1928. 7 1,669,800

F. ALEXANDER TYPEWRITER Filed June 15, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 15. 1928. I 1,669,800

F. ALEXANDER TYPEWRITER Filed June 15, 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 15, 1928. 1,669,800

F. ALEXANDER TYPEWRITER Filed June 15, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 15, 1928. 1,669,800

' F. ALEXANDER TYPEWRI TER Filed June 15, 1925 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 anon-Hog May 15, 1928. 1,669,800

F. ALEXANDER TYFEWRITER Filed June 15 1925 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 j/wmw 14m Patented May 15, 1928.

UNlTED STATES FREDERICK ALEXANDER, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

TYPEWRITER.

Application filed June 15, 1925. Serial No. 37,246.

This invention relates to improvements in typewriting machines, and more particularly to the construction and mounting of the carriage and associated parts. There is provided a travelling carriage which has mounted therein a platen carriage, both of said carriages being readily removable. The carriage is also mounted for movement for case shift purposes and is provided with paper feed mechanism and a carriage return and line space lever all intimately associated with the carriage.

The invention hereinafter claimed is illustrated and described as embodied in a full sized typewriting machine of a particular N character, but features of the invention are applicable to typewriting machines of other types and parts of the invention may be employed alone or in connection with other machines.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the typewriting machine, showing the carriage return lever in dotted lines and only a portion of the keyboard.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the same.

Figure 5 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale, with the platen carriage removed.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7 of Fig ure 5.

Figure 8 is a fore and aft section on the line 8 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of a single type action, showing in dotted lines the manner of removing the type bar.

Figure 10 is a transverse section on the line 10 of Figure 5 with parts omitted and parts in dotted lines.

Figure 11 is a transverse section showing the carriage driving spring and its attachment to the carriage.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the removable carriage engaging element shown in Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a front elevation of the escapement mechanism.

Figure 14 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 15 is a top plan of the same.

Figure 16 is a front elevation of the platen carriage.

Figure 17 is a bottom plan of the same.

Figure 18 is a rear elevation of the same.

Figure 19 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 20 is a top plan of the carriage return and line space lever.

Flgure 21 is a side elevation of the same showing a portion of the line space wheel.

Figure 22 is a rear elevation on an enlarged scale of a portion of the paper table with the paper gauge.

Figure 23 is a side elevation of the ribbon feed mechanism.

Figure 24 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 25 is a detail view of a bracket for holding the ribbon shaft.

The frame 1 of the machine may be of any desired material and similar to the usual and common constructions of typewriter frames. Its sides and rear are provided with beveled rectangular panels 2 of glass or other transparent material which will prevent the access of dust to the interior of the machine but permit observation thereof. The frame is supported by the usual rubber ifeet 3 which may be of any desired construcion.

A shell shaped sheet metal cover 4 which is intended to inclose the front of the machine has depending portions engaged by lugs 5 on the inside of the frame 1 (see Figure 10). The lower portion of this cover is slotted as at 4 for the up and down movement of the key levers, and the cover overlies the entire front of the frame inclosing the type bars, ribbon mechanism, etc. The upper edge of this cover carries a thin glass or other transparent panel 6 parallel with the customary graduated scale 6'. This member 6 also acts to press the paper against the front of the platen.

The carriage 7 which is adapted to travel from side to side of the machine has a base 8 on Which are adjustably mounted the holders 9 for the roller bearings 10. The holders are provided with elongated slots 9 through which pass screws 11, thus permitting transverse adjustment. Rigidly supported by the frame of the machine are bearing ways 12 which are V-shaped and with which are adapted to engage the rollers 10. As shown in Figure 6, certain of the holders are mounted in such position that the rollers 10 will engage the inside of the upper branch of the V, while as shown in Figure 7, other holders are mounted in reverse position so that the rollers 10 carried thereby engage the inside of the lower branch of the V. In this manner the carriage is held tirmly in position but allowed to travel freely.

The axle of the platen ll is detaehably held at either end in the t'orked bars 13 so that the platen carriage may he removed by raising the same and moving the platen axle out of the forks of the bars 1 The platen axle is provided at either end with the usual linger knobs It for turning the same.

The platen carriage T also has rigidl mounted therein 't'eed rollers which lie. closely adjacent the platen. A paper apron 15' of the same curvature as the. platen extends between and is attached at its ends to the teed rollers 15, or rather to the shal'ts supporting the same. The platen carriage has mounted therein the usual ui iwardly and rearwardly extending paper table it; provided with an edge gage I? having a portion bent to extend through a slot in the paper table and held in position by a l af spring 18 (see Figure The forked bars 13 are pivoted to the sides of the *arriage and at their rear ends are connected to a rod 10 the ends of which are mounted in the main carriage. A. block is titted with roller bearings 2t engaging each side oi the rod 19. To the lower side of the block is connected a rod 22 which is carried atits ends by short 'l'orked links :23 pivoted for movement on hearing studs 241. A hooked link Ql connects the t'orked links 233 with the shil't key levers The shil't key levers are provided with the usual keys as well as with lock keys (Fig. which are drawn to one position by springs Tl. It is obvious that an actuation of a shift key or lock key will result in rocking the shalt 19 with the arms 1 and thereby moving the platen to upper case position. This will take place regardless of the longitudinal position of the carriage due to the travelling connection between the rod 19 and the block 20.

To control the letter space movement of the carriage, it is provided with a rack bar 26 and having teeth 26 on its under edge which engage with an escapement Wheel 27. The escapement wheel mounted in a support 28 fastened by screws or equivalent means to the trout side ot the rear wall of: the frame 1. The. carriage is normally urged toward the left by spring mechanism hereinafter described and the step by step movement of the escapen'ient wheel 27 is controlled in the following manner.

A pawl 2.) mounted for pivotal movement about a pin 33 carried by the base 2% and this pawl norn'ially engages the teeth of the escapement wheel 27. and is held in such position by a spiral spring 31 attached at one end to the pawl and at the other end to a fixed part as shown in Fig. 13. A second or auxiliary pawl is pivoted near one end to one end of the main pawl and a. spring :13 attached at one end to an arm ot' the auxiliary pawl and at its other end to the main pawl draws the former against a shoulder of the latter. Movement of the pawl 30 in the other direction limited by a stop Zl-l.

A lever filo is pivoted to the main pawl 25 at b and through a bar 218 is connected to a bent link 21f) last at. one end to a rock shat't it) suppor ca l at its ends; in bearings 10' in the l'rame l. The bar l also carries arms it which support a universal bar -l which und rlies all the key levers (3:2 and also tits in slots id on the underside. of space bar levers :11. so that. a depression ol' any key lever or the space bar will ro k the rod it) and thr ugh the connections just, described will pull down on the link 2H3.

This will move the pawl :15) out of engagement with the teeth o t' the escapement wheel '17 but at the same time the pawl 30 guided between the stop ll and the main pawl 25) will move into engagement with the wheel 27 and hold the same against movement. ljpon release of the depressed key, the link :16 will move upward and the spring 31 will move the main pawl 25) back into engagement with the wheel but. at a space subsequent to that previously engaged, thus al lowing tlic. carriage to move one step. The engaging ends ot? both pawls are so curved with relation to their movement and the teeth of the wheel, that they move into engagement therewith without causing the usual clicking movement and therefore the operation of the csc: pement is silent.

It is necessary that the ribbon til be vibrated over the printing point each time that a key lever is depressed, and this is achieved in the following manner. The ribbon passes through the upper end of a ribbon vibrator -17 which is connected at its lower end to one end ot a lever el i pivoted intermediate its ends at. it to acurved bracket; l5 supported by the machine frame. The other end ol the lever "i is connected by a link 23 to the bent link 39 above described which is rocked each time a key lever is depres ed. ln this manner the lever it) will also be rocked and the ribbon vibrator li' moved to bring the ribbon 1 over the printing point.

ln order to l'cod the ribbon from one sp ol to the other. the following constru tion is employed. A bat't lli pa ses underneath all ol' the key levers (3:2 and is supported at its ends in the space bar levers ll. A link 18 U-shaped at one end and has its opposite end connected to the shaft or bar at. The U-shaped end ol' this link l8 has a pin it) in each branch which passes through slots it) in a standard .30. This standard is extended in the form of two thin leaf springs 50 which terminate in loo hooks which are adapted to engage a pinion 55. These springs 50 partially encircle a disc 52- which is circular through the greater portion of its periphery and this disc is supported by a forked bracket 51. The bracket 51 has a shaft 51 which is non circular in cross section, and passes through the disc 52 so that the latter is held against rotation.

The pinion is supported rigidly on a shaft 53 which carries at its outer ends pinions 55 meshing with crown wheels 56 on the lower ends of ribbon spool shafts 58 supported in brackets 57 and 60, the upper bracket 60 also supporting the ribbon spool. \Vhenever a key is actuated the link 48 will be pulled downward and the spring pawl 50 which is in engagement with the wheel or pinion 55 will rotate the same and feed the ribbon from one spool to the other. When the ribbon 61 is entirely wound on one spool, a subsequent depression of a key with movement of the link 48 will rock the standard 50 about the disc 52 disengaging the pawl 50 which has been operative and engaging the opposite pawl 50 which will then operate to feed the ribbon in the op posite direction.

The key levers 62 are provided with the usual finger pieces 62 and have notches 62 at their rear ends engaging a fulcrum rod 64:. A spring 65 underlies each key lever near its fulcrum point and returns it to normal position. To an intermediate point of the key lever is pivoted a short link 66 the other end of which is pivoted to a lever 67 having a slotted end engaging a guide rod 68. The other end of the lever 67 is pivoted to a bell crank lever 69 having a slot near the heel thereof engaging a rod 70. The type bars are fulcrumed on a rod 72 carried by a segment 73 and each bar has an open slot 72 engaging said rod 72. The upper end of the lever 69 carries a pin engaging in a slot in the heel of the type bar, this slot having an open portion permitting easy removal and replacement of the type bar as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 9.

To draw the carriage toward the left under control of the escapement mechanism, the following construction is employed. A band spring 75 is wound in helical manner in a casing and is connected to a flexible band or tape 76 which at its extremity is provided with a U-shaped member 76 by means of a screw 77. This member 7 6 normally engages a slot 76" in the end of the carriage and therefore draws the carriage toward the left under the control of the escapement mechanism. When it is desired to remove the carriage it is moved further to the left and the hook 76 will engage a cross bar 78 and become detached from the carriage which can thus be removed endwise without releasing the spring.

WVhen the carriage is next placed in position and moved to the right, the slot 76" will engage the hook 76 and thereby again eonnect the driving spring to the carriage.

Since the feed rolls 15 are rigidly mounted in the carriage frame it is necessary to make some provision for feeding paper or envelopes of different thicknesses. Accordingly the sides of the platen carriage are provided with slots 84- through which pass the platen shaft and a small coil spring 85 at each side bears against the top of the shaft. \Vhen thick paper or envelopes or the like are fed into the machine, these springs will yield and provide for sulficient space between the feed rolls 15 and the platen.

A combined line space and carriage return lever 79 shown in Figures 16 to 21 has a vertical pivot 79 adapted to fit into an opening at either side of the carriage frame. This enables the lever to be placed at either side according to whether the operator desires to use the right or left hand for return ing the carriage. A pawl 80 is carried by this lever in position to engage a ratchet wheel 81 fixed with the platen, and thereby rotate the platen step by step.

It is obvious that some features of the invention may be used without others and that the precise physical embodiment of the invention may be modified widely without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention, which is to be regarded as limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame, a. main carriage longitudinally movable therein, a supplemental carriage shiftably mounted on the main carriage, a platen having the usual spindle mounted in the supplemental carriage, and a mounting for said spindle permitting yielding movement of the platen relatively to the supplemental carriage.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame, a main carriage longitudinally movable therein, a supplemental carriage shiftably mounted on the main carriage, a platen having the usual spindle mounted in the supplemental carriage, fixed feed rolls underlying the platen, and means permitting the platen to move in the supplemental carriage away from the feed rolls when thick work-sheets are employed.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame, a main carriage longitudinally movable therein, a supplemental carriage mounted for case shift in the main carriage, a platen carried thereby, feed rolls and a paper apron underlying the platen and rigid with the supplemental carriage, and a mounting for the platen permitting itto yield away from the feed rolls when thick worksheets are employed.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a main frame. a main carriage longitudinally movable therein. fixed V-shaped guides carried by the main frame, a series of rollers carried by the carriage base and alternately engaging upper and lower sides of the V-shaped guides. and means permitting adjustment of eaeh roller independently.

5. In a typewriting maehine. the combination of a main jt rame. a main earriage longitudinall movable therein. a eupplemental carriage supported by the main earriage and movable therein tl'or case shift, a cover plate for the front of the machine, and a t'ansparent panel carried thereby and having its upper edge close to the platen so that; the writing is read through said panel.

6. In a tvpeivriting machine, the combination of a. main frame. a main carriage longitudinally movable therein, a supple,- mental carriage movably mounted for ease shift in the main carriage. feed rolls rigidly mounted in the sup ilemental carriage. a platen above said teed rolls. and a transparent panel at the front of the platen 0verl v ing the printed line and flSFlFting to hold the worksheets in position.

7. ln :1 t vpewriting machine, the combination of a main frame. a main carriage longitudinally movable therein, a supplemental t'arriage mo ably mounted for ease Shift in the main carriage. teed rolls rigidly mounted in the Fupplemental carriage, a platen above said .t'eed rolls. means permit ting the platen to move away from the feed rolls when thiel \vorlt'sheets are employed, and a traneparent panel at, the. front of the platen overl ving the printed line and ZtSSlSting to hold the \VOl'h'FlltttS in position.

8. In a t \'pe\vriting machine. the combination ol a main frame. a main carriage longitudinall movable therein. a Supplemental earriage movably mounted for ease hitt in the main carriage. a platen carried by the .-'upplemental carriage and having a ratehet wheel at :ltjll end. a carriage return and line spaee lever. and a mounting for said lever at eaeh end of the carriage.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature.

FREDERICK ALEXANDER. 

